Skilled Worker Visa:
The Skilled Worker Visa is available to individuals of all nationalities who have secured an offer for a skilled job in the UK from a Home Office-approved sponsor. This visa route can lead to settlement in the UK and allows applicants to bring dependent partners and children with them.
To obtain a work visa in the UK, you must be sponsored for a specific job that meets particular skill and salary requirements by an employer who has a licence from the Home Office. We have separate guidance available for UK employers interested in applying for a Skilled Worker sponsor licence.
If you’re interested in starting a new business in the UK, or if you own an existing UK business, you might be eligible for a Skilled Worker visa through self-sponsorship, where your UK company acts as your sponsor. We have a separate page providing more details on the self-sponsored Skilled Worker visa.
Notably, there is no cap on the number of people who can enter the UK under the Skilled Worker route.
Requirements for a Skilled Worker Visa
To qualify for a Skilled Worker Visa, you need to meet the following criteria as outlined by UK Visas and Immigration:
- Age Requirement: You must be at least 18 years old.
- Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS): You need a valid Certificate of Sponsorship for the job you intend to perform.
- Genuine Vacancy: Your job offer must be a genuine vacancy.
- Skill Level: The job must be at an appropriate skill level.
- Salary Requirement: You must be paid a salary that meets both a general salary threshold and the ‘going rate’ for your specific SOC 2020 occupation code.
- Immigration Skills Charge: Your sponsor must have paid the required Immigration Skills Charge.
- English Language Competency: You must demonstrate English language proficiency to at least CEFR Level B1 (equivalent to IELTS 4.0).
- Financial Stability: You must have sufficient funds to support yourself without resorting to public funds.
- Criminal Record Check: You need to provide a criminal record certificate if required.
- Tuberculosis (TB) Test: A valid TB certificate must be provided, if necessary.
Please note that these requirements can vary based on individual circumstances. For expert advice, you may wish to consult an immigration lawyer.
Skilled Worker Visa Skill Level Requirement
The job you are being sponsored for must meet a minimum skill level equivalent to RQF level 3 (A-levels or equivalent).
- The skill level is determined by the job itself, not necessarily by the applicant’s qualifications.
- Eligible jobs are listed in Appendix Skilled Occupations and Appendix Immigration Salary List under SOC 2020 occupation codes.
- The sponsor must select the appropriate occupation code that aligns with the job role. Failure to do so may lead to visa refusal.
English Language Requirement
You must prove your English language proficiency (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) at least to CEFR Level B1 (intermediate).
- You can meet this requirement if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country, have passed a Secure English Language Test, hold a degree taught in English, have GCSE/A Level or Scottish Highers in English from a UK school, or have met this requirement in a previous visa application.
Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS) Requirement
To apply for a Skilled Worker Visa, you must have a valid Certificate of Sponsorship issued by a Home Office-authorised employer.
- The employer must be A-rated on the Home Office’s register of licensed sponsors unless you are reapplying for the same sponsor as in your last permission.
- The Certificate of Sponsorship must be issued within three months before your visa application date.
- It should include essential details such as your name, job title, salary, a start date within three months of your visa application, and confirmation that it has not been used for any other application that was granted, refused, withdrawn, or cancelled.
Genuine Vacancy Requirement
The Home Office must be satisfied that the job for which you are being sponsored is a genuine vacancy and that you have the necessary skills to undertake this role.
- If it appears that the job does not exist, is a sham, or was created mainly for obtaining a skilled labour visa in the UK, your application will be denied.
- The Home Office will also verify that you are not being sponsored for a role that provides routine services to a third party who is not your sponsor.
Immigration Skills Charge Requirement
Sponsors must pay the Immigration Skills Charge, which applies each time they assign a Certificate of Sponsorship to a foreign worker.
Financial Requirement
Unless exempt, you must have at least £1,270 available funds, held for 28 consecutive days, ending no more than 31 days before your application.
- You are exempt if your sponsor has an A-rating and agrees to cover your costs for the first month of employment.
Criminal Record Certificate Requirement
If applying for a job in health, care, welfare, or education, you may need to provide a criminal record certificate for any country you have lived in for 12 months or more in the past 10 years.
Switching into the Skilled Worker Route
You can switch into the Skilled Worker route from most other visa categories unless you are currently or were last on a Visitor, Short-term Student, Parent of a Child Student, Seasonal Worker, Domestic Worker in a Private Household, or any outside-the-immigration-rules category.
Duration of the Skilled Worker Visa
If approved, your visa will be valid for up to five years, ending 14 days after your Certificate of Sponsorship’s end date.
Skilled Worker Visa Minimum Salary Requirement
You must be paid a salary that meets or exceeds both a general salary threshold and the specific ‘going rate’ for your occupation code.
- The general salary threshold is typically £38,700 per year but can be reduced to £34,830 or £30,960 if you score tradable points (explained below).
- For applicants who received permission before April 4, 2024, the thresholds are lower (£29,000 or £26,100/£23,200 with tradable points).
- For health and care roles, the general salary threshold is £29,000, but it can be reduced to £26,100 or £23,200 with tradable points.
- If you are in a health or education role where national pay scales apply, the salary threshold is £23,200.
Tradable Points
Certain applicants may earn tradable points that allow them to be paid below the standard threshold:
- A PhD relevant to the job allows a minimum salary of £34,830 and 90% of the going rate.
- A PhD in a STEM subject relevant to the job allows a minimum salary of £30,960 and 80% of the going rate.
- A job on the Immigration Salary List allows a minimum salary of £30,960 and the going rate.
- New entrants to the labour market can be paid £30,960 and 70% of the going rate.
Dependents
Holders of Skilled visa in UK can be accompanied by a dependent partner (over 18) and dependent children (under 18).
For more information or to discuss your skilled work permit in the UK or sponsor licence application, contact our Skilled Worker Route lawyers at 0161 505 1860 or complete the enquiry form on our website.
Maximum Stay and Conditions
There is no maximum length of stay under the Skilled Worker route, unlike the previous Tier 2 (General) route, which had a six-year limit.
- You can work in the job for which you are sponsored, engage in supplementary employment, and study (subject to conditions). However, you cannot access public funds.
Settlement Eligibility
To qualify for settlement under the Skilled Worker route, you must:
- Have spent five continuous years in the UK.
- Have held permission in specified routes (e.g., Skilled Worker, Global Talent) during these five years.
- Not have been outside the UK for more than 180 days in any 12 months.
- Pass the Life in the UK test (unless aged 65 or over).
- Continue to work for a Home Office-approved sponsor who needs your role.
- Meet the salary threshold for settlement.
Frequently Asked Questions
You need a valid UK job offer, meet salary thresholds, and demonstrate English proficiency. Immigration Services Provider ensures you meet these criteria.
Immigration Services Provider guides you through the application process, from document preparation to submission.
Yes, dependents like spouses or children can join, and Immigration Services Provider simplifies the process.
Immigration Services Provider supports you with reviews and appeals to address refusals effectively.
Typically, it lasts up to 5 years, with Immigration Services Provider helping to extend or renew.
Yes, but you’ll need a new sponsorship and Immigration Services Provider can assist in managing this transition.
Roles on the approved occupation list qualify. Immigration Services Provider can help verify eligibility.
After 5 years on a Worker Visa, Immigration Services Provider supports with Indefinite Leave to Remain applications.
Yes, specific thresholds apply. Immigration Services Provider ensures compliance with the latest salary criteria.
Yes, you must prove proficiency. Immigration Services Provider guides through accepted tests.
